Top Five WPC Lessons

1: Sales of Business Productivity Online Suite are sad.  First clue? The 250 free seats offered to WPC 2009 attendees. People applauded that news but some of the more um–realistic–VARs in the crowd said it’s may be the only way to get some actual users online. VARs hate BPOS because Microsoft owns the customer relationship and VARs can’t co-brand it or bundle it with their other services.  HATE it, 18% margin the first year or not.

2: Among the new Microsoft Partner Network competency areas are ERP and CRM–plain and simple. That’s a hugely logical move for Microsoft Dynamics partners. What took so long?

3: Judging from the number of iPhones carried (surreptitiously) by Microsoft employees, there could be a good business in fake Windows Mobile skins. Steve Ballmer has famously decreed no iPhones for his professional and personal families. BTW, those iPhones are on the employee’s dime–which really tells you all you need to know about Windows Mobile, no?

4: On the other hand, Microsoft demo’d Firefox and iPhone support in the new SharePoint , which gave the many Microsoft partners who are also iPhone phreaks a thrill. 

5: Never, ever  try to high-five a blind musician on stage.